“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

Every year, I pray to God and ask him for a scripture and a theme word to think on and study. This past year, the Lord gave me the word Flourish and the scripture: “Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland (Isaiah 43:18-19).”

 Friends, initially, I was delighted with the chosen scripture and word. I thought flourishing was a great word to outline the year. I even had a little planter box that had flourish written on it. The Planter was a gift from my best friend the previous year and had sat empty, just waiting to hold some beautiful plants. I longed to flourish. Flourishing meant life would be full of joy, abundance, and fruitfulness. I had visions of bountiful circumstances springing up and blooming beautifully throughout the “wasteland” I endured. God knew I desired a break. God knew I fought hard to lay down my anxious heart, surrender my circumstances, and trust Him in the “wilderness!”

Over the next few months, the harder parts of life kept piling up. It wouldn’t take long before I abandoned everything I had heard from God. I cried a handful of times to my husband and closest friends in hopes that they could offer some perspective to my weary and confused heart. I explained the challenges and how I lacked a balance of work and rest. My mind and body felt like they couldn’t keep up with the growth of adapting and adjusting to the new season my life demanded of me. I’m telling you, I was being reshaped, stretched, and building new skills that required much effort. Throughout the process, I was overwhelmed with disappointments, setbacks, and chaos that appeared to languish any signs of living a flourishing life. I asked God how this could resemble a flourishing life? Listen, even the plants I had planted in my flourishing planter did not thrive. As I went through three different little plants, I couldn’t help but wonder if I heard God right or perhaps, I didn’t know enough about God and what it meant to flourish. I began to search God’s word and immerse myself deeper into scripture.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing (John 15:5).”

This scripture tells me that flourishing isn’t circumstantial; flourishing begins by dwelling in God’s word and presence. I love how the Bible has a special way of revealing important truths that can not be denied. Truth stands up against every feeling, worldly ideal, and even challenging circumstances. The word of God lights up every dark place and can breathe new life into it. Think about how every tree begins as a seed. The seed must go through some stuff to develop roots and break through the dirt and ground before there is evidence of a tree sprouting, surfacing, and spring up new life. Interestingly, we don’t see the work beneath the ground. The process of germination is relatable to the Lord working in our lives. We can’t always see what He is doing, but he is there doing only what he can do, just like the process of germination.  

God is the great gardener; he waters and nourishes us in unique ways, causing us to take root in Him and flourish just like the seed. I learned so much about myself and God’s character during my growth spurt. Did it hurt to grow deeper, stronger roots? YES! It always does, but when we are connected to Jesus, when He is the vine of our lives, and we are the branches, then real abundant flourishing life is awakened, even through trials. Our weakness becomes strength, our failures become growth, and our heartaches, when given to God, can help us to live on purpose.

God created the very first garden, all of life, and the life in us. He wants to cultivate a flourishing bedrock throughout our lives that glorifies Him!

 Friends, God sees you; he sees you pushing through the exhaustion to spend time with Him, He sees you holding your tongue, and He sees you heeding the discipline others refuse. He sees you!

A few more flourishing scriptures:

“But Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes: its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:7-8)

“That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither-whatever they do prosper (Psalm 1:3).”

“You crown the year with a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance (psalm 65:11 NIV).”

“They are planted in the house of the LORD; they flourish in the courts of our God (Psalm 92:13 ESV).”

“Then God said, ‘Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds’, (Genesis 1:11).”

Dear God,

Please bless all my family and friends with much fruit! I pray they find a steady and comforting place in your love and grow strong in you. I pray we are all rooted in your word and walk faithfully with you throughout this year. Father God, please help us grow and flourish in the way you have planned. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen!!!